Dr Roza Sage Member for Blue Mountains, Sergio Rosato Principal at St Thomas Aquinas Primary, Paul Ryan Principal at St Columba's College, Education Minister Adrian Piccoli MP and St Columba's students James Freeman and Jordan Hallam
Education Minister Adrian Piccoli MP and Member for Blue Mountains Dr Roza Sage paid a special visit to students from St Thomas Aquinas Primary and St Columba’s College in Springwood.
On Tuesday 11 March, Minister Piccoli met with students who were directly affected by the bushfires of October 2013.
Students spoke openly and movingly of how their lives have changed since their home-life and community were devastated by the fires. Several students acknowledged how much closer the experience has brought them as families and as a community. Year 11 St Columbus student James gave special thanks for his teachers who ‘were always there for him’.
Minister Piccoli said he was privileged to hear their stories and hoped, like the grass and trees were growing again, that they were beginning to move on with help from each other.
Dr Sage reassured students that grieving was a normal part of life sharing her own story and inspiring students with hope for the future.
Following the meeting, Minister Piccoli and Dr Sage joined students and teachers for a morning tea.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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03 Apr 2026
From Facebook
It was a joy to receive the latest edition of the Diocese of Lismore's publication, Catholic Life, featuring a beautiful article on our Foundation Principal, Sr Anne Henson pbvm. The piece reflects on Sr Anne’s remarkable life of faith, service and leadership, including her role in founding St Columba’s and the lasting legacy she continues to leave in our community and beyond. Our sincere thanks to Barry Da Silva for writing this wonderful tribute and for kindly sending us a copy. You can read the whole magazine (March 2026) here: https://www.lismorediocese.org/catholic-life-magazine/ Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Catholic Schools NSW
03 Apr 2026
From Facebook
Our Show Team has had a fantastic start to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. On Wednesday, Olivia and Jovina competed strongly in the paraders classes, with Olivia awarded Highly Commended in a very competitive field. Jovina and Eva also took part in the Young Judges Competition. On Thursday, our students and steers again represented the College proudly, while our display teams achieved outstanding results, placing 1st in Pumpkin and Produce and 3rd in Native Floral Display. Congratulations to Mackenna and Heidi in Year 10, and Lillia and Charlotte in Year 12, on their beautiful displays, and well done to all students involved. A special thank you to Mrs Sibbald for her support of our students throughout the Show. Sydney Royal Easter Show Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
Latest News More news
03 Apr 2026
From Facebook
It was a joy to receive the latest edition of the Diocese of Lismore's publication, Catholic Life, featuring a beautiful article on our Foundation Principal, Sr Anne Henson pbvm. The piece reflects on Sr Anne’s remarkable life of faith, service and leadership, including her role in founding St Columba’s and the lasting legacy she continues to leave in our community and beyond. Our sincere thanks to Barry Da Silva for writing this wonderful tribute and for kindly sending us a copy. You can read the whole magazine (March 2026) here: https://www.lismorediocese.org/catholic-life-magazine/ Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Catholic Schools NSW
03 Apr 2026
From Facebook
Our Show Team has had a fantastic start to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. On Wednesday, Olivia and Jovina competed strongly in the paraders classes, with Olivia awarded Highly Commended in a very competitive field. Jovina and Eva also took part in the Young Judges Competition. On Thursday, our students and steers again represented the College proudly, while our display teams achieved outstanding results, placing 1st in Pumpkin and Produce and 3rd in Native Floral Display. Congratulations to Mackenna and Heidi in Year 10, and Lillia and Charlotte in Year 12, on their beautiful displays, and well done to all students involved. A special thank you to Mrs Sibbald for her support of our students throughout the Show. Sydney Royal Easter Show Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
01 Apr 2026
From Facebook
We are thrilled to share news that 25 students from St Columba's are Youth Prize finalists in the @columbasartprize! The judging of this prize is completely independent of the College, and our students join other student finalists from across Australia. We are looking forward to seeing their work displayed in a professional gallery space alongside our Open Prize finalists. Families, friends and the wider community are very welcome to attend the exhibition. Congratulations to our finalists!
01 Apr 2026
From Facebook
So exciting! We can't wait for the St Columba's Art Prize. Congratulations to all the finalists. See the full list here: https://columbasartprize.com.au/2026-finalists/
31 Mar 2026
From Facebook
⚽ Congratulations to the SCCC Open Girls Football Team ⚽ The St Columba's Open Girls Football team proudly represented the College at the PDSSSC Gala Day on Friday 27 March. The girls demonstrated skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship, finishing the pool games with two draws and one win. Their results earned them a place in the semi-final against Marian Catholic College. After a hard-fought game, Marian emerged victorious with a score of 1–0. The St Columba's team should be incredibly proud of their effort and achievements. Congratulations to all the players on a great day of football.
30 Mar 2026
From YouTube
A short video for students on setting up a Wacom tablet on a Windows laptop.
28 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Our Students are all ready to compete at next week RAS Easter Show 2026 - we will have our steers in the Munro Pavillion from the 1-5 of April 2026 - be sure to drop by and say "Hello" if you are at the show! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Sydney Royal Easter Show
24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
It was fantastic to welcome Lily O’Toole from Charles Sturt University back to the College today. In addition to being our latest pop-up for The Feed in the Quad, Lily also took time to talk with Year 10, 11 and 12 Ag and Primary Industries students, and even got a little lost in the pumpkin patch! Thanks for all you do for our students Lily - you’re welcome at St Columba’s anytime!
24 Mar 2026
700+ Unite for Project Compassion Big Water Walk
More than 700 students and staff from 23 schools across Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) came together for Caritas Australia’s Big Water Walk in support of Project Compassion. Beginning at Parramatta Park, students carried buckets of water along a 4km route, gaining a glimpse of the daily journey faced by people in developing communities, especially women and children, in search of clean water.
24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
⭐SAVE THE DATE - the St Columba's Art Prize is back for 2026! 1 - 6 MAY The St Columba's Art Prize is back for 2026, featuring works by established and emerging artists from across Australia. With a prize pool of more than $17,000, including a $10,000 Open Prize, $2,000 Local Artist Prize, and a $1,000 Youth Prize, the event will be an opportunity to see a diverse range of outstanding Australian artworks. We hope you will join us in celebrating the arts at this fantastic community event. For more information visit https://columbasartprize.com.au
23 Mar 2026
From Facebook
“The Feed” has a fresh new look! Our College lunchtime talks have moved from a formal presentation to a relaxed pop-up stand in the Quad and students are loving it! Our first university to trial the new format was Australian Catholic University (ACU). It was great to see so many students stopping by to chat with Student Ambassadors Lauren and Cathy, ask questions, and learn more about studying at ACU. We’re excited to keep the conversations going as more universities join us in the Quad for The Feed in the coming weeks! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
19 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Last week, our College community gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day with a beautiful breakfast and the presentation of the Sr Anne Henson International Women’s Day Award to Dr Naomi Cooper. While we were proud to share moments from the event, we also want to take this opportunity to celebrate the incredible women who are such an important part of our students’ lives. These photos capture just some of the mums, grandmothers, aunties and other significant women who support, guide and care for our young people each and every day. Your love, strength and encouragement do not go unnoticed, and we are so grateful for the role you play in shaping our community. Thank you for all that you do. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese